She was right, of course. We had been married for three weeks now, and postponing the honeymoon any longer wasn’t a good idea. It was just that leaving Dominic behind right now felt wrong. We’d all been living together for six months, and he’d finally called me dad.
“He’s not going to stop thinking of you as his dad just because we’re gone for a week.”
“You’re right. I just feel like this is a big step forward in our relationship.”
“It is, but it’s a solid relationship. Don’t worry so much.”
“I’m ready,” Dominic said, merging from the bedroom with his shoes on.
“Good. All the suitcases are in the car, including Dominic’s,” Eve told me.
She and Dominic got in the car, while I followed along on my bike. We were heading to Mama Tammy’s place, like we did most Sunday afternoons, but this time Eve and I would be leaving after dinner to go on a ride to Las Vegas, where we’d be spending a week alone together. Gambling, shows, and as much time between the sheets as I could get. I loved Dominic like he was my own son, but I was well-aware of how having a kid around made it hard to find time for sex.
I planned to make up for any missed opportunities with my bride this week.
When we reached Mama Tammy’s house, she opened the door on the second knock, while my fist was still in the air. As usual, she greeted Dominic first, sweeping him up into a bone-crushing hug. She always said that Dominic was the closest thing she’d ever have to a grandchild, so she was going to spoil him.
Next, Eve and I got kisses on our cheeks. The three of us entered the house, and I immediately recognized the meal we were having by smell alone.
“Tuna casserole again?” I asked, pouting at Mama Tammy. We’d had that as least once a month since Eve and Dominic started coming to these weekly gatherings.
“It’s Dominic’s favorite,” Mama Tammy replied dismissively.
“Trust me, I know. Maybe you could makemyfavorite sometime instead.”
“Boy, you’ve gotten spoiled since you met this one,” she said, gesturing to Eve. “You get homemade meals every night, and all of a sudden, you start sassing me.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling.
It was funny when I was young, I always thought of myself as someone with no family. I had tried to accept it, but it was hard. I felt like I was missing something. Then Mama Tammy came along. Now, I had Eve and Dominic. They might not be blood, but they were the family I chose, and I couldn’t be happier.
We sat down at the table together, falling into easy conversation as we filled each other in on everything going on in our lives.
“We really appreciate you watching Dominic while we’re gone,” Eve said.
“Oh, please. It’s a pleasure. It’s been too long since I had little kids in this house. I loved taking in foster children. It was the great joy of my life.”
“You’re a good woman,” Eve said.
“It’s easy to love kids.”
I looked over at Dominic. I had to agree.
“So, are you planning to have more?”
Mama Tammy’s question took me off-guard. I whipped my head around, looking at first her, then Eve. She looked just as surprised as I was. We’d never talked about it.
“Uh… I don’t know,” I said.
The atmosphere at the table got awkward. We all focused on our food for several minutes, not meeting each other’s eyes. Mama Tammy leaned over toward Dominic and spoke with a stage-whisper, “Did I touch a nerve or what?”
Dominic just shrugged.
“We just haven’t talked about it,” I said. But now that the idea was in my mind, I couldn’t deny that it was compelling. I wanted to see Eve pregnant with my child, to be there to hold the baby right after it was born. I wanted to be a better parent than both of mine combined.
“If you do it, I want a brother,” Dominic said. “Girls don’t like bugs.”
Everyone at the table chuckled.
